Chapter 133: Ice Pot Needles

Li Lin studied the painting for a while and could confirm one thing: the author of this painting was the same person who created the Gou Lou Cave Mansion.

Because the handwriting was identical.

But what did this inscription poem mean?

Would time pass quickly here in a physical sense, or a spiritual one?

Or perhaps... another illusion?

The illusion Li Lin knew of, the world of the Hui-character Technique.

He didn't quite understand.

He flipped the painting over and examined it repeatedly for a long while, found no other information, and then hung it back on the wall.

Sister Yan Jing also drifted about nearby, seeming quite curious about everything around her.

Li Lin went to check the meditation cushion again, then helplessly shook his head.

Unlike the previous cave mansion, the things here were only these few items.

There was no Wordless Heavenly Book.

And just then, Sister Yan Jing suddenly said nearby, "Wait, there seems to be something else inside this pot."

Li Lin turned, picked up the glass pot, and upon looking inside, discovered there was indeed something within.

Because that thing was so transparent, Li Lin had failed to notice it.

He gently shook the glass pot, and saw the very transparent thing inside suddenly shatter.

It cracked into strips of 'ice needles', still emitting a faint, chiming sound.

Like the faint ringing of wind chimes.

Looking at this little more than half a pot of ice needles, Li Lin paused, because he realized this thing was exactly the same as the ice needles that fell from the moon in the Hui-character Illusion.

Li Lin looked at the painting again; now he understood what was depicted on it.

It was these ice needles.

'The illusion passes in an instant, fifty autumns in the mortal world'!

Was it speaking of the Hui-character Illusion?

Li Lin gently tilted the pot, and three ice needles flowed out one after another from the spout, falling into the glass cup beside it.

Looking at these three ice needles, Li Lin did not reach out to touch them.

Instead, Sister Yan Jing leaned over from the side, looked for a while, and asked with a longing gaze, "May I eat one? This thing emits yin energy; it feels like it should suit me very well."

"I don't know what this thing is, nor do I know what consequences it might bring."

"I am not afraid." Sister Yan Jing smiled seductively, leaned over, and said, "County Commandant, I offer my apologies; previously I underestimated you. It was my fault. Beaten or punished, I submit to your disposal."

Li Lin actually did not mind her previously looking down on him; he was just worried that eating this thing might truly cause problems.

Seeing Li Lin still hesitating, Sister Yan Jing knelt down and said, "I don't want that yin energy stone either. As long as the County Commandant can bestow upon me one immortal divine object, I am willing to recognize you as my master from now on, loyal and unchanging."

Sister Yan Jing actually wanted to snatch it too... but she knew clearly she could not possibly snatch it.

Now she was an apparition raised by Li Lin; if she had even such a thought, Li Lin would know immediately.

So she didn't even dare to think it.

Li Lin looked at the other party and sighed, "Things left by immortals are hard to predict."

This thing was exactly the same as those that appeared in the Hui-character Technique; he thought of how unbearable it was for him after these ice needles had flooded his body.

The other party might not be able to withstand it.

"I am not afraid!" Sister Yan Jing's eyes burned with heat.

The more she looked at this thing, the more she liked it; from within her consciousness, she felt an inexplicable craving for it.

Li Lin thought for a while; since the other party wanted it so much, he would give it to her.

He would just treat it as an experiment.

If Sister Yan Jing truly had a problem and perished, he could still return on his own.

After all, with the Stealth Technique, he would just need to be careful on the road then.

So he handed the glass cup toward the other party.

"Thank you, County Commandant."

Sister Yan Jing carefully picked up one ice needle and, with a somewhat reverent mindset, placed it into her mouth.

The ice needle melted instantly upon entering her mouth.

It turned into a few drops of water, falling into her abdomen.

"A little sweet." Sister Yan Jing said with a smile.

Then she laughed, and the yin energy on her body seemed to 'swell' a bit.

"Truly worthy of an immortal's..."

She didn't finish her sentence; her expression changed, revealing a look of pain.

At this moment, the yin energy on her body suddenly became very chaotic, and grew stronger and stronger.

At the same time, the surrounding air rapidly cooled.

Li Lin instinctively stepped back one pace.

Sister Yan Jing suddenly began to shiver.

And the shivering grew more and more severe.

At this moment, her hair, clothes, and skin were all frosting over; the whole person turned much 'white'.

She looked at Li Lin, her eyes full of pain and pleading, "I can't hold on... much longer... County Commandant... save me."

She clutched her body tightly with both hands; the shivering grew smaller and smaller, as if she was about to freeze completely.

Li Lin extended his palm and said, "Absorb my blood qi."

Yan Jing instinctively began to lick.

After two licks, the white blood qi entered her throat, and Yan Jing's trembling ceased.

After two more licks, the frost on her body vanished completely.

She looked up at Li Lin, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Then she wanted to lick again, but Li Lin withdrew his palm.

"County Commandant, your taste is wonderful!" Yan Jing looked at Li Lin with eyes that seemed filled with burning heat, even more exaggerated than when she had seen the ice needles earlier: "Could you let me suck a few more mouthfuls?"

Li Lin ignored her; he looked at the glass pot on the table. At this moment, those ice needles had turned back into their previous almost completely transparent state, and had merged together, taking the form of 'water'.

Li Lin thought for a moment, tore off a corner of his robe hem, wrapped the entire glass pot in it, and then hung it at his waist.

This thing, he naturally intended to take with him.

Then Li Lin asked, "You ate the ice needles; did you feel any benefit?"

"Yes, the Yin Qi has strengthened considerably." Yan Jing leaned in close; in her eyes looking at Li Lin, there appeared an emotion that was hard to describe: "But the effect is far inferior to the few mouthfuls of blood qi my lord gave me."

Li Lin nodded.

The Obscure Technique indeed does not suit strange objects.

Yan Jing leaned against Li Lin, smiling seductively: "Now you are my master; could you let me eat a few more mouthfuls? If I become powerful, it will be more convenient for me to serve you."

Li Lin shook his head: "I have not agreed to take you in. Just now I only saved you; it was the friendship of a friend. You need not overthink it, and I am not a petty person who takes advantage of others' distress."

"Master, although I am a strange object and a woman, I also know the principle that a promise weighs a thousand gold. Just take me in."

Li Lin still shook his head.

He already had the Tree Immortal Lady, and merely nourishing the Tree Immortal Lady already consumed a great deal of blood qi; raising another such seductive strange object... his future cultivation speed would decrease significantly.

After all, if something like blood qi becomes scarce, it will affect the speed of cultivation.

Seeing Li Lin refuse, Yan Jing's face showed deep disappointment.

She now felt a bit of regret; if she had known earlier, she should not have looked down on this County Commandant.

Li Lin searched the area once more, confirmed there was nothing else, then took out a talisman paper and said, "Come in."

Yan Jing returned to the talisman paper; Li Lin then took the cushion and placed it in a corner, then stood upon it.

Everything around began to turn dark, so dark one could not see five fingers before one's eyes.

Moments later, with Li Lin's lit fire flint, they had already returned to the previous cave.

Li Lin walked out of the cave, then returned to the inn in Guicheng.

He intended to ride the horse back.

The horse had been well cared for; Li Lin paid the money, mounted the horse, and was just about to exit the inn's rear courtyard when he saw someone blocking the way ahead.

People from the Ding family from before.

The other party looked at him, his gaze lingering for a while on Li Lin's waist, then smiled and said, "It seems County Commandant Li has made some gains."

"Indeed so."

Li Lin admitted it; the shape of the pot was very obvious and could not be hidden from people.

"The family head requests your presence and has prepared a banquet; please, County Commandant Li, must honor us with your attendance."

Li Lin sat atop the tall, powerful horse, his long spear resting against his side on the horse's back, the spearhead pointing backward.

He only needed to reach out to grab the long spear.

But he did not do so; instead, he asked, "A Hongmen Banquet?"

"Of course not!" This young man of the Ding family clasped his fists and said, "The son-in-law of the Huang family of Jingcheng; our Ding family would not dare to act rashly. It is merely that the family head wishes to exchange goods and information."

Li Lin thought for a moment and said, "Very well, please lead the way."

The young man breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Thank you, County Commandant Li, for trusting our Ding family."

Then the young man led the way ahead, and Li Lin followed behind on horseback.

Not long after, they arrived at the south of Guicheng; before their eyes lay a huge 'manor'.

"Truly a prominent family; this place is large enough."

This manor was no longer a matter of how many courtyards deep it was; rather, its land area reached the extent of one hundred mu.

Entering the manor, led by the young man, they wound through an unknown number of turns, passed an unknown number of moon-shaped archways, and only then arrived at the lower hall for receiving guests.

That was a high ground; sitting inside a building similar to a pavilion, one could take in all the surrounding scenery, encompassing the entire manor within one's view.

Opposite Li Lin sat a middle-aged man, his face like a jade crown, smiling very gently.

"County Commandant Li is indeed a scion of a great family." The middle-aged man smiled and said, "I am Ding Yingqiu's father, the Ding family head, Ding Feng."

"Li Lin, courtesy name Brother Kunge." Li Lin clasped his fists and returned the greeting.

At this moment, several maids came from the side, placing down plates of delicacies.

Seizing this opportunity, Ding Feng sized up Li Lin and said, "You carry Yin Qi that does not belong to you; is it the technique of raising strange objects?"

Li Lin nodded.

Ding Feng's eyes lit up: "May I be allowed to see the strange object you raise?"

Li Lin pondered for a while, took out the talisman paper, and released Yan Jing.

Although it was daytime, Yan Jing was a Great Strange Object and could appear, as long as she was not directly exposed to sunlight.

As soon as Yan Jing came out, she stood behind Li Lin, lowering her brows and keeping her eyes downcast, looking exactly like an obedient little maid.

Yet Ding Feng did not dare to underestimate this woman.

One who can appear during the day with such a stable spiritual body must be a Great Strange Object without a doubt.

"Truly a great family with profound foundations." Ding Feng praised and said, "The wine and dishes are prepared; please, County Commandant Li, partake."

"Thank you."

As soon as Li Lin finished speaking, the Yan Jing beside him had already taken the initiative to pour wine for Li Lin.

The movements were extremely practiced, yet carried an indescribable allure.

After all, Sister Yan Jing had possessed several courtesans; she knew well how to serve others.

To Ding Feng, this demeanor naturally held a deeper meaning.

After a casual chat, just as the wine flowed freely, Ding Feng suddenly asked, "County Commandant Li, what gains have you made in your cave dwelling? Might I be allowed to see them?"

Li Lin did not mind; he took out the glass flask and placed it on the table.

Ding Feng was somewhat puzzled.

At that moment, Sister Yan Jing picked up the glass flask and gently shook it.

Amidst the clear tinkling sound, the "water" inside the glass flask transformed into fine needles of ice.

(End of this chapter)